While dental checkups and cleanings are essential for your oral health, it can be difficult to seek care if you feel anxious about your visit. If you also tend to have head, neck, or jaw pain or require lengthy dental treatment, then you might consider getting nitrous oxide sedation. With this therapy, you can feel calmer and more relaxed throughout your appointment. But will this solution also put you to sleep? Read on to learn what you should expect!
Preserving our pearly whites typically becomes increasingly important the older we get. If you
’re a senior, you may be more vulnerable to issues like root decay, dry mouth, and tooth loss. For this reason, you’ll want to practice certain preventive measures to protect your oral health. Read on to learn four dental hygiene tips to help you maintain your pearly whites during your golden years!
You have probably heard of cold sores, if not experienced them occasionally yourself. A cold sore is a viral infection that appears as a small fluid-filled blister or group of blisters which lasts for a couple of weeks before going away. Once the blister opens, a scab is left that heals and usually doesn’t leave a scar.
This virus is called herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1), and once a person is infected, the virus remains inside the body for life. This virus is contagious and can be passed from person to person. Typically, people will are infected at an early age with the cold sore virus. Once infected, cold sores may occasionally appear throughout life. Various reasons may cause a cold sore to appear in a person with the HSV-1 virus, including stress, fatigue, fever, hormonal changes, exposure to sunlight or wind and injury to the skin.
A person may experience tingling or itching in the area a day or two before. Then, a small and painful lump appears on the lip or surrounding area. This lump will turn into a fluid-filled blister. Less commonly, these blisters can form around the nose or even inside the cheeks. There may be one or several blisters. The blisters will open after a week or two, leaving scabs in their place that eventually heal. Reoccurrence tends to happen in the same spot. Outbreak symptoms may be fever, sore gums and throat, swollen lymph nodes and muscle aches. (more…)
